The Chicago Bulls are set to open preseason Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, and all eyes are already on Caleb Wilson.
The No. 4 pick in June’s NBA Draft out of North Carolina has quickly become the center of attention in Chicago, long before he plays his first official NBA game. Wilson posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter, ahead of tip-off: “Blessed Beyond Measure… Start of a new journey tonight!”
That’s the kind of note Bulls fans were hoping to see from the rookie who arrived with plenty of buzz after the team’s surprise top-5 selection in the NBA Draft Lottery back in May. For Chicago, landing Wilson felt like a major breakthrough.
He’s been treated like the face of the franchise from the jump, and the reason is easy to see. Wilson is viewed as the player who can help push the Bulls into a new era after nearly a decade of more of the same.
What has made him such a big deal already is the full package he brings: versatility, poise, explosiveness, and a maturity that stands out for someone his age.
Wilson has stayed front and center since arriving in Chicago. He’s coming off an award-winning NBA Summer League run and has already been making the rounds around the city.
Recently, he was at a Cubs game with Buzelis and Bears QB Caleb Williams, where the group was on hand at Wrigley Field to watch Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Now the focus shifts back to the court, where Wilson gets his first chance to show why Bulls fans are so fired up about what comes next.
In Other News...
Matas Buzelis Sees A Different Bulls Team Taking Shape
Matas Buzelis opened training camp sounding like a young player who has already felt the difference between a team searching for answers and one trying to build something sturdier. After a season in which Chicago was sorting through change, the second-year forward said the tone around the organization has shifted, with more intensity and a clearer sense of purpose as the Bulls move through an overhaul and into a new phase of the rebuild.
Buzelis also spoke with the patience of someone focused on the long game, stressing that his own approach is to keep improving every day and help wherever he can. For a roster trying to establish itself, that matters as much as any single skill point. The real test now is whether the early signs of order and accountability can hold once the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Jordan Weighed In On A Bulls Reality Fans Know Too Well
Michael Jordans latest remarks offered a familiar kind of reminder for Bulls fans: the game has changed around the franchise, but the standard he set has not. Speaking at the SBC Summit in Lisbon, Jordan said modern sports betting and the nonstop statistical noise of todays NBA would not have altered how he approached basketball. His emphasis, as ever, was on winning, studying opponents and staying locked in on the next challenge rather than getting pulled into everything swirling around the game.
Jordan also touched on how different the current landscape would feel for players now, with social media adding a layer of scrutiny his era never had to deal with. For a franchise still measured against his shadow, the comments hit on a reality Chicago knows well, even if the details of how he would navigate todays betting-heavy environment remain his to spell out another time. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Preseason Opener Already Puts Their Rebuild Under Pressure
The Bulls are barely into preseason, and the mood around the opener against the Suns already feels more about survival than evaluation. Before the first practice even got going, Zach Collins was hurt, while Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis are expected to get the first look in the starting group as Chicago begins sorting through a roster that still has more questions than answers.
Chicago also moved quickly to address its depth, bringing in Jordan Hawkins to fill the last roster spot. The early injuries only sharpen the pressure on a team trying to make its rebuild look like progress, and the next few days will say plenty about how much the Bulls can learn before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]